Arunachal Pradesh forfeited their Ranji Trophy Plate group opener against Nagaland on October 11 due to an administrative crisis stemming from a factional dispute and ongoing legal proceedings at the Gauhati High Court. The dispute has prevented the BCCI from intervening, leaving players uncertain about participation for the season.
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A dispute within the Arunachal Pradesh state cricket association led to the men's team withdrawing from their Ranji Trophy Plate group match against Nagaland that Sunday, the 11th of October, before a ball was bowled. At the heart of the matter lay a disagreement between two opposing groups, alongside a related case that had come before the Itanagar Bench of the Gauhati High Court.
Arunachal Pradesh's U19 squad did not take the field for their Vinoo Mankad Trophy fixture against Sikkim in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, resulting in the match being awarded by default. With the dispute unresolved, the association has been left without any governing body capable of settling questions around team selection.
Nabam Vivek took on the association's presidency following elections conducted the previous month. Several district associations subsequently filed a petition before the Gauhati High Court, citing concerns about the conduct of the electoral process. A stay order issued by the High Court — which has yet to deliver its final ruling — bars the BCCI from constituting an independent selection panel along the lines of the arrangement put in place for Bihar. The position at the head of the state body has gone unfilled.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told a news channel that any action on the matter would have to wait until the court issues its clearance.
Regulations governing the competition allow for the state team's suspension through the rest of the season as a consequence of the forfeited match. Nagaland had already travelled to Ahmedabad by the time Arunachal's squad learned, only on Friday evening, whether they would be permitted to take part. Former Arunachal captain Kamsha Yangfo told a news channel that the team had no prior experience of such a dispute and was uncertain both about the next step and about which body to approach, adding that player careers stood to be affected if the side were barred from the season. Yangfo noted that the opening match, at minimum, would not feature their participation.
Without a single victory across their five Plate Group matches, Arunachal Pradesh wound up holding the last position in the standings when the previous season concluded. Four additional states — Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Sikkim — have their place in the Plate Group alongside Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
Arunachal's second Ranji Trophy fixture pits them against Sikkim at the Gokulbhai Somabhai Patel Stadium in Nadiad, with the contest scheduled to get underway on Sunday, October 18.